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Rheem RASL060JEC vs RARL060JEZ

Hi all............Don't think i'm not aware that this thread is almost 3 yrs old. I just couldn't figure out how to start a new thread and figured i might as well post here to begin with. I live in Long Island, NY, a 2-story colonial, 2600 sq/ft, looking for a new cnetral air conditioner. How does Rheem compare as far as performance and reliability goes? we've been trying to take a call btw 2 Rheem models-

Can anyone tell me the pros and cons of the units? If it's only a matter of reduced utility bills, will the higher model translate to that significant savings? There is a price difference of about $ between the two quotes. Also, i was wondering about the difference in the motors? Pls help

The RHKL isn't appropriate for high SEER. With the RARL-061 you would want a RHPN or RHPL. That A/C has an unloading scroll. Low is 83% of high so not much difference between high & low. There's a premium $ over single stage units and little benefit.

The RASL-060 has twin scrolls so low is 57% of high. You get the true advantage of 2 stage with a low that is noticable. The JEC is full communicating and for full advantage of features, use the 551 communicating control, not a generic thermostat.

I know juice can be a bit pricey in NY but the summers aren't that long. Don't expect 16 or 18 SEER to be an investment that will pay you back in energy savings. Buy it because you want the ultimate. 5 ton for 2600 sw ft? Must be really old and poorly built to need that much cooling. Do you have the duct system for that size? I would doubt it!

Hi BaldLoonie...Firstly thank you for taking the time to reply. secondly, i know nothing about ACs, so have been puzzling about how to reply to this post.

Do u mean to say that if we go with the RARL-061 and pair it with a RHPN/RHPL .....we'll be fine? Or

"That A/C has an unloading scroll. Low is 83% of high so not much difference between high & low. There's a premium $ over single stage units and little benefit"

Does this mean that we're wasting our money and time on the RARL-061? We're pretty sure that we do want to go with a two stage unit, so it would only make sense to go with one that actually delivers. However, I am not sure that we'd like to step up to the 18 SEER RASL if the energy savings is not significant.

As u correctly guessed...........we probably don't need a 5 ton unit. We haven't yet decided on an installer, but most of the ppl we spoke to said we needed 4 tons. This quote is for a 5 ton, but we're in favor of a 4 ton instead. Which brings me to my question about the motors. i see that in the RARL series, the 4 ton model has a 8 pole motor, not an ECM one. How does this translate in terms of efficiency and reliability?

"The JEC is full communicating and for full advantage of features, use the 551 communicating control, not a generic thermostat."

Do u mean the 501 or the 550 communicating control? Would this be used to program both heating and cooling? If so, then we'll be utilising only one function since we have baseboard heat.

As for the duct system, we're installing a new system, not replacing an old one. So we're starting with a clean slate and have no worries on that account.

Yes, if you want the RARL, get it with RHPN or RHPL. Having low being 83% of high, it's barely a 2 stage unit. The RASL twin comp units are like the American Standard/Trane 20s, really give you the benefit of 2 stage. Doesn't make sense to pay the big bucks for 2 stage if you can't tell the difference or reap the benefits. My house, I'd get a single stage unit and VS air handler with an integrated control that does dehumidify on demand. I could have gotten 2 stage cheap, still not convinced the unloading scroll is worth it. Still get more control over the system with the 551 and lots of diagnostics available. I just played with our first one and it was really neat. Actually it was a modulating furnace and RARL. A 4 ton at that and it had ECM motor outside.

Our original recommendation was Indoor Ahu # RHSLHM4821AA and outdoor condenser # 14AJM56A01. Both 5 ton. However, this was with an Aprilaire zone control system which most of the AC guys were against cos our colonial has an extremely open floor plan. what are your thoughts?

An RAPM-048 with RHKL-4824 air handler gets 16.00 SEER 13.00 EER for what should be quite a bit less than the RARL. You can get a simple humidistat or integrated control to do dehumidify on demand and really keep the house dry - short of a whole house dehum.

An RAPM-048 with RHKL-4824 air handler gets 16.00 SEER 13.00 EER for what should be quite a bit less than the RARL. You can get a simple humidistat or integrated control to do dehumidify on demand and really keep the house dry - short of a whole house dehum.

In my area... 2 stage AC is nice... we have LONG shoulder seasons and long cooling seasons...

In Tilara's area... the system BL mentioned in the quote above would be fine. The on demand dehumidification (ODD) makes a big difference!

Up north, I don't ever see 2 stage being worth the extra expense. An accurately sized single stage system with properly sized sealed and insulated duct would be your best bet. You could have a home energy audit performed on your house to see if/where you can improve your house to decrease the size hvac you need. www.comfortinstitute.orgwww.resnet.uswww.bpi.org